RockenRun: Hooked on Asphalt

May 24, 2009
Sacobia, Pampanga

Crashed at 2000H when we got back to the tent in Clearwater after buying “dinner” in Parkson Duty Free (having had zero sleep from the birthday party I attended the night before) and woke up at around 0100H on Sunday. Tried to sleep for awhile, but hit the shower when I realized it was already 0330H. There was more than one person running on the trail that day, and there was only one bathroom to be used.

Tights, shorts, singlet, Redrock purse, my beloved Adidas road shoes, which almost made me laugh when I remembered the post I’ve written around the same time last year. I swore that after the first trail running experience last year, I will never go trail running without the proper gear anymore. That morning, I only had one thought–one I learned the hard way: when all else fails: be one with the mud!

The organizers wasted no time in starting the race promptly but there was a bit of a trouble when runners got “clogged” on the way down to the start of the trail. Someone even commented: “hanggang dito ba naman traffic?” and some laughed. Just about the right amount of good humor to start the race right

Runners Ready To Get On The Trail

I was already holding a Powerade bottle but decided to get water just in case I’d need it. Running on lahar and river crossing was of course, part of the entire challenge so the first thing I did when we got down to the trail was take pictures! Hehe! It’s not everyday that I get to experience it, anyway.

Gettin' Muddy Wit It!

Enjoying The View While Running

Funny thing was, I kept asking myself where the “muddy-er” parts would be. I think it’s because last year’s trail run has somehow left me really paranoid when I hear the words “trail running” … haha. I almost lost my breath when I got what I was looking for.

More Mud! Haha!

To top it all off, the mad cow’s “space” that I almost entered (because I was looking at the mud, being careful of every step) was not something I “trespassed” … good thing I decided not to listen to any music and I heard other runners beside me react to the cow being in the middle of “our way”. Somebody ought to tell that cow to recognize and better get his own turf cos it was on our trail! Haha just kidding. I tried taking a shot, but for some reason it started to move. I tried going up on the side (where we were supposed to run) and only got this:

A Day With The Mad Cow

Nope…no amount of “photoshop-ing” can make the image any clearer. Sorry…but for what it’s worth, that white thing on the left IS the cow The scene from Inquirer’s Sports Video Report on TNF100 in Sacobia, Pampanga that can be found below is just right after where the cow was. Hehe!

Reposted from takbo.ph:

By the time we’ve hit the pavement, I’ve already opened my Powerade Bottle. I can feel the heat starting to affect me and pain on my left foot (from a four-month injury: December to April). I was stubborn to start running again and so this is what I got.

Running on Pavement

I thought we were fast because we were right behind The Bull Runner…I think! Haha! By the time I was nearing the last water aid station, the sunblock I have put on my face started to sting my eye so I had to run (I was already walking because my left foot started to hurt) to get water to put on my left eye. What was left of it, I poured into the half-filled Powerade Bottle and threw the water bottle away.

Left Side! My Not-So-Strong Side!

I finished at 1:36. Argh. If only I’d train and sleep properly, then I can actually work on finishing it in less than an hour. Not to mention the times I had to stop because of the pain on my left foot. I’ll work on my discipline and then on training right

Took more pictures of other runners, which can be viewed in our Flickr Account! Check it out here.

10 km, the north face 100, trail running clarkfield, pampanga, sacobia, the north face 100, trail running

I woke up at around 4:00 am, did my usual morning routine and at about 4:45, I was already walking on my way to the base camp where I would be running my first 20k trail run.

As initially planned, I would run this race on a slow, easy pace. (No thanks to my wet shoes)

After the gun went off at 5:30, we ran about a kilometer of road before we entered the trail proper. There was a long queue of people awaiting their turn to start from the slight downhill slope before we could enter the lahar-filled bottom of the Sacobia river.

During the first part of the race, I slowed down and grabbed my camera phone so that I could take pictures of the other runners while everyone was still “clean”. As I have always said before, at the end of any trail encounter, we would all have the same shoe color: muddy brown!

As we approached the first part of the river, I was happy with my shoes (I would’ve been happier if they were dry to begin with) because the water have not penetrated my Gore-Tex shoes. I was thinking how difficult it would be later on for those runners wearing regular (read: breathable) running shoes since I am sure that at this point, their feet would all be wet.

Some of the runners were cautious while most of them ran along the wet riverbed with gusto, as if playing in the flooded streets of Metro Manila! I thought to myself: “Now that’s the spirit”.

I rejoiced too soon: later, I have reached the part of the river that was about 6 inches deep and way higher than my shoes. You see, the thing about Gore-Tex shoes is that it is waterproof: it keeps the water out but once the water gets in …. tsk-tsk.

I took things slow from that point and even stopped before the wooden bridge and took pictures of it too. It was at this point that I saw HighAltitude running back to the finish line! (he is fast!)

As I was about to reach the highest point of the trail, I was surprised to see Ben Chan himself taking pictures of all the runners and at the same time praising us for our achievement; now talk about a real hands-on person. Good work Ben!

I ran the trail with so much delight (except for the muddy/slippery parts), it has been a couple of years since the last time I have been on the trail and it felt good.

As I was about to descend the first trail, I had a problem with the camera phone and it took me a good 2 to 3 minutes before I could make it work again. It was at this time I have noticed that I wasn’t anymore with the mid-pack of the runners : I was already alone: there was no one in front of me and no one behind me. I must’ve been taking it too easy.

So after getting a bottle of water from the aid station, I decided to run through the deeper parts of the river.

Later, I saw 2 groups of 2 people trekking /running through the river. (thank God I’m not alone anymore). I soon overtook them but later felt pain on my right big toe. Darn it, I knew if I continued running at race pace, (there was still around 5 km to go) I would end up with blisters on my feet. It was also at this point that I started feeling hungry and felt cramps on my right leg

In the end, I decided to run slowly and walk at times if just to reduce the pain on my feet. After all, I didn’t travel all the way to Clark to get trampled by a mammoth and get free blisters along the way

As I was about several hundred meters from the finish line, Isko gave me a power bar and a bottle of water; enough to give me a minor boost to at least jog thru the finish line.

The trail we passéd thru was an established trail as the path is wide unlike the path taken by the 100km trail runners where trails were created specifically for this race.

For me, there are two things that are important in a race : the safety of the runners and hydration. I give Coach Rio flying colors for this one.

Bolt and Isko

That’s about it … you see, I still have to wash my shoes

20 km, the north face 100, trail running 20 km, pampanga, sacobia, the north face 100, trail running

A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.

Hmmm … “rotating column of air” -> that would best describe the DJs  on the radio show that I am forced to listen to when I commute to work. I think those DJs are very popular with our jeepney/FX drivers so no matter which form of public transport you choose, you’ll end up listening to them everyday. It’s a good thing though that all I will ever experience is the figurative definition of what a twister is. (or so I thought)

We left for Clark last Saturday so that we can meet my friend, Isko at the jump-off area of The North Face 100 to give him some of the supplies he needs for the 2nd 50k loop. The weather was very warm and humid that day that everybody was wearing summer clothes; I didn’t even entertain the thought that I might need to bring my North Face Gore-Tex jacket for the next day’s 20k trail run.

And so it happened: it started with a drizzle and then when it got stronger we decided to take shelter in one of the tents adjacent to the starting line. We were all surprised to see that the starting line fell on the technical committee’s command center, ruining it and almost hitting the people underneath. It was like the entire structure was trampled by an invisible raging Mammoth!

I think I see dead people ... No...mammoth tracks...!!!!

The next few minutes happened so fast, I remembered that the entire place suddenly turned dark and I had to run away from the tent I was in since it was also crushed by the beast!
We all took shelter near a cement wall (it was the only thing left standing), wary of the debris that might hit us.
At this point, we were all drenched, my trail running shoes included. Luckily, the rusty mountaineer in me instructed my sister to put our cell phones in a plastic bag before kingdom come or else that would have been a costly encounter.

We finally met Isko and company at the jump-off site; they were also delayed because of the storm.  It’s good to find out that no one was injured because of what happened. We stayed around a little bit longer before we headed back to Clearwater to prepare ourselves for the next day’s 20k race.

Before I slept, I stared at my wet shoes and wondered … “How many blisters tomorrow?”

20 km, trail running 10 km, 100 km, 20 km, running, The North Face, the north face 100, tnf100, trail running

May 23, 2009
Sacobia, Pampanga

Clearwater Resort in Sacobia, Pampanga

We arrived in Sacobia, Pampanga on Saturday, May 23, 2009, a little after lunch and went straight to Clearwater Resort where we reserved for a tent good for four people.

Clearwater Resort in Sacobia, Pampanga | Tent T-104

After unpacking, we walked about 500 meters to the jump-off area in Expo Filipino Parking Lot and checked out the place, as well as waited for Kuya Isko Lapira and his friends to arrive at the base camp from their first 50k.

North Face Sacobia, Pampanga | Start / Finish Line

The clouds seemed perfectly placed high up in the clear blue sky, just before it hit.

My brother, Bolt: North Face Sacobia, Pampanga | The Calm Before The Storm

Unfortunately, we didn’t bring a waterproof camera or else we would have been able to take a footage of it. Just took pictures and a video of how it looked after the storm!

North Face Sacobia After The Storm in Expo Filipino Parking Lot 2 | May 23, 2009

We moved away from the tents to try and look for Kuya Isko, a short distance from the wrecked Start/Finish Line, as he had texted earlier that they were already near. Picture of him holding the Gardenia and Adobo we brought him. Haha!

Kuya Isko's return to base camp in The North Face Sacobia, Pampanga after the 50K distance covered.

The rain has just subsided, and this is me wondering if the 10k trail is gonna be as muddy as the North Face Trail Running Event I participated in Talamitam, Batangas last year…

"How's It Gonna Be?" looping around in my head

Some pictures of how the jump off area looked after the storm!

North Face Sacobia, Pampanga | After The Storm

North Face Sacobia, Pampanga | After The Storm

More pictures here.

It wouldn’t be a rocking and running event for us, siblings, without any music we can actually relate a day’s worth of activity to. So here’s Creedence Clearwater’s Proud Mary — the song running through my mind as we walked back to the tent after buying our stash for dinner in Parkson, Duty Free. I’ve been confined in Manila most of my life (thanks to our strict parents) and I dint know that prices there are in dollars slash pesos. Har de har har.

MySpace Playlist at MixPod.com/center>

10 km, 100 km, 20 km, the north face 100 10 km, 100 km, 20 km, pampanga, relay, sacobia, solo, The North Face, the north face 100

I just got home from a birthday celebration way up north and by the time I continued packing and decided to write this entry, I’m pretty sure the race for 100K solo has already started. So, let me go straight to the point because I have several other people to check on and a tight schedule to follow for the trip to Sacobia, Pampanga.

I’m the youngest in the group and I find it ironic and at the same time, traditional, to play the role of reminding everyone in the group of what to bring for a trip. So, like an adviser during homeroom when a class of semi-buggers decide to go on a field trip, my things-to-do include double-checking stuff my friends have to bring!

Nope, no image. Sorry, and I took the liberty of not making you go through the agony of looking at the actual list itself

We should arrive in Pampanga later, 10am at the most. We have prepared food for Kuya Isko to eat: chicken adobo and rice! Yeyy! We will also be giving him a bag of Chocolate-Flavored Gardenia Bread when he leaves for the second half of his 100K solo.

Last year, when I attended the first event in the Philippines of North Face Trail Running, my officemates and I arrived just after Kadangyan finished their last set, if I remember it right. Hopefully, there would be another group of musicians performing tonight, which I think would really be something worth looking forward to.

North Face 10KM Trail Run - Bib Number

I’ll be bringing along my gray Redrock Equipment bag/purse I’ve had since college (I don’t really know what it’s exactly called).

with our trail running dog

Well then, gotta move!

10 km, 100 km, 20 km, running, the north face 100, trail running 10 km, 100 km, 20 km, pampanga, running, sacobia, the north face 100, tnf100, trail running

This Sunday, I will join the TNF100 in Sacobia Clark, as a participant in the 20k trail-run. The last time I remembered being on the trail was when we climbed (or should I say “crawled”) Mt. Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin 2 years ago. That was my 2^nd major climb with my friend Isko (he will be running the 100k solo race) who is a member of MESAU. I would like to think of this run as another day hike but without the daypack and trekking pole and executed at running pace, hehehe

This will be the first time I will be trail running and frankly it gives me a sense of joy and apprehension at the same time: I am excited to be one with nature once more but pressured to finish the entire “tour” within the given cut-off time. I hope I can take a lot of pictures of the trail as I intend to bring a camera phone with me.

I have already made a list of things to put in my belt bag for this event, among them are 2 bottles of sports drinks, energy gels(Hammer and GU), a chocolate bar, a pair of sandals and a donkey (in case I get tired). I hope I didn’t over pack J

As with my previous runs, I just intend to finish this race and not set a PR since I haven’t been training properly because of my work schedule.

In as much as I want to run this race using my old TNF trail running shoes, (which finally surrendered to the trail as we descended Hibok-Hibok) I will be using my Salomon Adventure Running shoes which I have owned for a while but have never used on the trail before. I hope that this shoe won’t give in as what happened to another blogger’s (bugobugo85) trail shoes since Salomon is also owned by Adidas.

My Trail Running Shoes (before it gets muddy)

Well I guess all that I can say at this point is Good Luck to all the runners, be it the 10k, 20k or 100K categories and see you all this Sunday at Sacobia!

North Face Trail Run in Sacobia, Pampanga - Bib Number

10 km, 100 km, 20 km, the north face 100, trail running 10 km, 100 km, 20 km, the north face 100, tnf100, trail running

After what I have experienced with the previous race, I didn’t  have high expectations for this race. I woke up at around 4 and arrived at  Market! Market!  at around 5 am.

It was the usual race day . I wore my shoes in the parking area and did some stretching; got in the mall to use the rest room and there I was,  waiting for the 10 miler to start.

For the first time after a couple of races, this race started on time (thank God). The only other race which I could remember that started on time was the Condura 21k.

Most races should be organized like this one:

• It started on time
• Lots of road marshals (so that no one gets lost)
• Lots of cold water (and cups)
• Powerade at the finish line

I reached the finish line with a time of 1:41 (unofficial). It’s really difficult to set PRs if you don’t train-I’m just thankful that I still get the chance to run on weekends.

Congratulations to the organizer for making this such a happy running experience for me.

10 miles, 16 km, Market! Market!, running, Taguig, The Fort 10 miles, 16 km, running, Taguig, The Fort

Running is addictive … once you start, you just want to keep on increasing your dose. I remembered running my first race which was a 10k during last year’s VSO held at the fort.  After a few 10ks I ran my 1^st 15k during Asian Hospital’s Run New and then my 1^st half-marathon which was the Condura Race.

I was actually planning back then on making Botak my first full marathon. Lucky for me, I had so many deadlines at work that I had to forego of that plan and instead registered for the half-marathon.  Had I been stubborn and pushed through with it, last Sunday’s run would have been a very painful memory.

Me and my friend Ian weren’t expecting PRs for this race as I didn’t have enough time to train (my weekly mileage went  down from 38 to 0 after pacing for our friend Isko in BDM 102) and Ian is under the weather. So, we decided to aim for a finish somewhere between 2:15 and 2:30.

We were able to finish it with 2:29:29 on my watch.

Observations :

• There was a water truck in the Kalayaan flyover.  Sweet!
• Excellent singlets. I don’t  wear singlets anymore but I have to make an exception in this case.
• Lots of Gatorade at the finish line.
• There was also an awesome band at the finish line.
• The race started late.  It started at 6:00 am. Starting a 21k race during the summer months in the Philippines is not cool (literally).
• There were not enough water cups in the aid stations ; luckily I brought a disposable hand-held water bottle with me which I conveniently refilled whenever I reach an aid station.
• Since this race involves a lot of “turn-arounds”; they should have added road marshals as I was almost side-swiped by a passenger jeep along Kalayaan Avenue on our way to Rockwell.

I know that It is  difficult  to  organize a full marathon so I won’t make a big deal about the inconveniences  I experienced in the half-marathon race, instead I would like to encourage Botak to improve their  service  for their next long distance race.

I hope that next time, no one gets lost

21 km, Botak, running, Taguig, The Fort 21 km, Botak, nbc tent, Paatibayan, running, The Fort

After almost half a year and four months of no physical activity due to my foot injury, I’m back.

At some point, my foot did start to hurt but whenever I asked myself the question: do I stop? The answer has to be NO.

I’m gonna have to update this entry again later, but I thought it would be fun to post some of the other things I enjoyed after the race…

Find out how Kuya Eugene and Kuya Ian (being a bit “under the weather”
cos of flu) finished their half marathon. Har de har har

Music definitely played a large part in making me a bit more relaxed while I waited for them at the finish line! One of the hosts was right…it’s like Woodstock in a race event. I can’t remember who the musicians were but they definitely kicked ass playing their instruments! Definitely loved the one below. Kudos!

10 km, Botak, Taguig, The Fort 10 km, Botak, Paabilisan, running, Taguig, The Fort